Anyone playing this? It was released this week. It sort of crept under my radar and I only found out about it from another forum I read. Sounds like A very good dark fantasy RPG game. I just picked it up and I'm looking forward to getting in to it this evening.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/video-games/video-game-reviews/8803351/Dark-Souls-review.html

I'm tempted to pick it up tomorrow, but I feel like I'll get too frustrated with it to enjoy it. Looks like a game for masochists. But then I read about how many people are enjoying it and finding it a challenging, but rewarding experience. Dunno for sure yet.

Ya I'm giving it a go right now(rented), very good game, hard but rewarding.

I caved and bought it today. Going to need massive amounts of help from guides and player tips for this I reckon.

Don't. A lot of the charm about this is figuring it out yourself. It's hard but I never felt frustrated. Your character is effectively undead, so you can't really die as such, you just get resurrected back at your bonfire, to start again. It feels a little like 'Planescape Torment' in this regard. As long as you get back to the place you were struck down to retrieve your soul then you don't really lose much. I'm enjoying it a lot so far. The way you can see other player's ghosts from their own games is really cool and a little spooky

I'm up against these skeletons, man those guys are tough, just need to figure out what their weakness is I suppose, but I'll be hard pressed to not look for guidance myself

Put in 3-4 hours today, trying 2 characters. 1st was a Hunter, but I don't really like it. 2nd was a Bandit which seems to work better for me. just beat the Taurus Demon a few minutes ago. Satisfying, since it took 4-5 tries.

If those are the skeletons with Scimitars and shields which ressurect down that grassy path then forget them, they are way too tough at lower levels. Dark souls doen't hold your hand, you can wander in to things and places that are too tough for you, just go a different way and come back later..much later when you've levelled up.

The more I'm playing this he more I'm liking it. You die a lot, but it's a learning experience and you just go back and try again Once you've sussed the combat it's hugely satisfying

Cool, I'm a wonderer, I think.

Is there a way to pause the game while you fiddle with your inventory?

Yes those are the ones Ant; I was beginning to wonder if I just need to ignore and proceed on with my quest.

I Decided to play it conventional and went with the warrior. Pretty good so far. A good mix of defence and offence with good physical protection. No ranged abilities yet, but my shield allows me to get in close

No. you've got to find a safe place. You can't pause the game at all.



Yeah, they're way too tough. I went back at level 16 and tried them and I still got my arse handed to me. Tip: go up.

That's what I thought, makes it much more challenging (re no pause)

Thanks for that tip

How does this compare to the first one? I picked it up in the bargain area and tried it for awhile. Looks nice and seems fun but I found myself a little confused as to what to do and it is indeed difficult.

I never played the original, unfortunately. But I can say that this is one of the bst RPGs I've ever played. It's supposed to be an improvement on the original by all accounts, but if you didn't really get in to the first game and aren't an RPG fan then it might be a bit overwhelming for you.

Demons Souls is definitely on my top 10 games of all time list. I was overwhelmed at first and put it down because I became so frustrated with it after playing it for a few hours but there was something about it that I couldn't resist. I resorted to using online guides, wiki, forums, anything to help me get through it because it was so damn confusing to me. I've played through it about five or six times and each time is a joy because it never ceases to be a challenge. However, now that I know the game inside and out, I realize I missed a great opportunity at gaming nirvana by not figuring stuff out on my own. Now, I'm much wiser about Dark Souls and am playing it completely blind. I refuse to look at anything that might resemble a spoiler because I know there is only one chance to play it for the first time and am savoring every moment. This game is all about the joy of discovery and figuring out what to do next. Yes, you will die. A lot. But that's not what this game is about. It is not impossible. You have to learn to fight and you have to learn the strengths and weaknesses of your opponents.

So far I'm about six hours into Dark Souls and it is the same as Demons Souls in most ways but there a some differences. I would highly recommend playing Demons Souls, but not necessarily first since the two games stories have nothing to do with each other. My final words of advice is to walk away from the game if you think you've come up against a brick wall and take a break. If you don't quit you will be in for a great gaming experience, trust me.

I had trouble getting into Demon's Souls, but so far I'm liking Dark Souls. Maybe when i'm done with Dark Souls, and if I haven't thrown it through my TV by that time, I'll revisit Demon's Souls.

Yeah, that's the way I'm doing it too. Other than a character class guide before I started, and finding out the advantages/disadvantages of being hollow vs Human I'm figuring this all out myself. It can be difficult, but never really frustrating I've found.

It's also one of those games that gets the combat so right that I can happily spend time doing nothing but fighting stuff. The last game I played where the combat felt so good was Batman:Arkham Asylum. There's a real difference between weapons and even shields. I'm having great fun with a halberd at the moment

I was reminded of some of my confusion when I loaded up Demon Souls yesterday after reading your all's thread here. I'm just into the game a short time and I'm in a place called the Nexus. I walked up a huge staircase and its only dead ends everywhere. I've talked to all of the spirits but I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Is the Nexus a safe zone between combat? Where do I go to continue?

The Nexus is a safe zone and is where you will go to level up, learn miracles and spells, store and retrieve things from storage, and buy and repair weapons and armor. Think of it as your happy place. However, you will not be able to level up (probably the most important thing you will do there) until you defeat the first "boss". It can be a real slog, and if I were you and just learning the game, I would create a new character and make him a "royal". It is considered the easiest class to get through the beginning. (note- classes really don't matter as you level up since you can increase your attributes regardless of what you started as). Royals have the soul ray, which is great from killing from a distance. Once you kill the first boss you can go back to the nexus and level up so that will be your first mission. Go to Boletarian Palace and just start exploring and killing ;-)

How do I leave the Nexus though Shredder?

There are five different archstones on the steps near the floor of the nexus which lead to the five different areas of the game. If you go to the first one it will bring up a dialogue box which asks you if you want to go to Boletarian Palace. Also, you need to talk to one of the monumentals which is sitting a long ways up a couple sets of stairs that are different from the stairs used to reach the archstones (In fact you need to talk to the monumental first). She is sitting cross-legged with a candle in front of her. You have to do a lot of exploring and it is designed by purpose not to lead you by the hand. I know how confused you must be because I was in the same boat and almost quit. But be patient, explore, and have fun ;-)